Limitless Potential
by SHIPPI
Summary: Gordon Freeman's life after the Black Mesa incident. Some mild language later on. Now updated! Please tell me what you think of this. :-)
1. Chapter 1

This is my very first fanfic ever, so if it sucks, that's why. I've tweaked the beginning around quite a bit, and I think it's a lot better now. I don't get much time to write this, but I'm gonna do my best to update it whenever I can. There will be spelling mistakes, and if you notice any major problems with the plot or whatever, tell me, and i'll change it.  
  
When you read this, can you please tell me what you think? I love to write, but i don't know if I'm actually any good at it. :-P  
  
Thanks!  
  
Liz  
  
  
  
Oh, and another thing, if anyone can think up an appropriate name for the G- Man, can you please tell me? I have no idea what to call him, and he's kind of important. Argh! I'm no good at names!  
  
So, if I say 'he', 'him', 'boss', 'employer' or whatever, it's the G-Man.  
  
**********************  
  
HALF-LIFE 2: LIMITLESS POTENTIAL  
  
  
  
He was Gordon Freeman - twenty-eight years of age, tall, slimly built, brown well-kept hair, goatee, and piercing green eyes hidden behind thick framed glasses. His appearance was no different to that of a year ago, before it all happened, but one thing about him was different - his perception of the word he live in. His mind was wary, his wits ever sharp, but there is always a feeling of emptiness lingering inside him, for the friends he lost. He had little trust of his fellow man or animal. All had changed.  
  
He nervously swiped invisible specks of dust off his smart, grey suit and tie while he waited. His employer would be briefing him on the developing situation shortly. While he waited, he drummed his fingers on the hard, leather chair, wondering why he had been summoned, after all this time...  
  
"Mr.Freeman. A word please" His employer's voice called over the loud speaker. Gordon swiftly stepped, heart pounding, into the, pale, neat office. "Hello Mr.Freeman. Please, have a seat" He slowly lowered himself into a chair by the desk. "I'll get straight to the point. As you know, there has been worrying events in the Border World. Human deaths are plentiful at the hands of the Xonians, even now. Of course, we expected resistance after our domination of Xen, but the the number of casualties is execeeding our anticipated fatality toll by far-" Gordon interrupted.  
  
"So... what are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"We are trying to tell you, Mr.Freeman, that we are not going to tolerate these losses any further. We need you to silence the Xen resistance groups' leaders with as little alien deaths as possible. Is this clear?" He stood up. " I'm sure the military personnel stationed on Xen will gladly assist you. We'll have the portal ready for you shortly, we'll get a message to you. Good Luck."  
  
"Okay, Sir. I'll do my best" They shook hands, and Gordon left his office. Fast. 


	2. Chapter 2

As Gordon wandered quietly into the familiar surroundings of his room he couldn't help but think about the past. Could he have prevented the Resonance Cascade? Why did it all go wrong? Nobody knew. Nobody really spoke of the past, even those whose lives weren't affected. Worse things have happened on the Earth, but the Black Mesa incident was something people instinctivly steered around. So many people died, and for no apparent reason. It shocked the world, but still, the Government seemed to treat the matter with as much attention as we would give to to a plane passing far overhead. Obviously, those people who disappeared were missed, but the Government had enough sense to keep Black Mesa's real project, and of course Xen under wraps when they coughed up a feeble excuse. They couldn't help but mention the Military presence there, a training operation gone wrong. A massive government cover-up, thats what the media reckoned. They were right. No more 'information' was released to the public. A weak, laughable story, everyone knew that, but that was all that was conjured up.  
  
Gordon headed to the case where his HEV stood. It slid open with a satisfying swish. He slipped off his smart suit, donned some loose jeans and T-shirt, and literally stepped into the gleaming orange armour. As the soothing, cool metal pressed against him through his clothes, he felt the familier hatred, and guilt, swell up inside him once more, but he forced himself to keep calm. He didn't want to cause anymore unneccesary deaths. His dreams haunted him enough already.  
  
Gordon was no longer at the friendly Black Mesa Research Facility, apparently, all that was left of that was a smouldering crater. To be honest, Gordon didn't really know where he was. He had been shipped off so many times, all across New Mexico, he had eventually lost all interest in his location. It wasn't like it mattered at all. This time, he seemed to be in some kind of Military base, soldiers periodically passed by his room, heading to what he assumed to be the surface, maybe even to Xen. This not only made Gordon feel uneasy, but curious. Did a major war break out and Gordon wasn't told? That's how it seemed. Lost in thought, he wandered out of his quarters.  
  
All around him, the cold, white walls practically shone in the yellow ceiling lights, and black and white signs marked numerous doorways which he passed without sparing a second glance. He wasn't too sure of where he was, or where he was going, but he felt that he needed the walk to straighten his head.  
  
Gordon was still considered a newcomer to this certain facility, and the few people that he passed payed little attention. This didn't bother Gordon. Sure, he missed having a laugh and having someone to depend on, but at the moment, Gordon was perfectly happy with keeping himself to himself.  
  
"What's wrong?" Gordon looked up from his wanderings into the unfamiliar face of an smartly dressed woman. Her black hair was tied back in a neat bun, and her brown eyes studied his face with concern.  
  
"Huh? Oh, it's a long story."  
  
"That's never a good thing to hear. I haven't seen you around here before, have you just arrived?"  
  
" About a month ago."  
  
"It's always tough the first couple of months, isn't it? I've been there. I'm Cassandra Downes."  
  
"Nice to meet you. Gordon Freeman." He offered his hand to her, which she shook.  
  
"I was wondering, what do you do around here Gordon? I mean, you've been issused an HEV. Not many people around here have to use these."  
  
"Oh, it's hard to explain. I was in Black Mesa-"  
  
"You were in Black Mesa?" Cassandra seemed startled by this. "I was told that no-one survived."  
  
"Well, they lied." He shrugged. "I don't know why they told you that. I'm not the person to ask."  
  
"They must have had their reasons." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Sorry Gordon, i've got a meeting. I'll probably be seeing you soon. Good luck with whatever you're doing."  
  
"Same to you. Bye" Gordon almost waved as she walked around the corner, out of sight. He sighed. He realised that he was afraid. He didn't want to fight again, he didn't feel ready. Gordon had had little training, and the thought of having to fight, to kill again just made him sick.  
  
"Would Mr. Freeman please report to Level Four: Survaillance immediately." The loudspeaker on the wall announced. Gordon cursed and headed for the lift. 


	3. Chapter 3

Tension was high as he entered the surveillance room, in fact, the first thing that he noticed was the atmosphere. All of their attention was drawn towards one wall of monitors, and on it, a fierce battle raged. Human soldiers were taking cover in foxholes, behind bodies; anything they can hide behind they used. Two grunts were suddenly cast into into the air by grenades - launched by their own people. A young man mades the mistake of watching their ungraceful landing onto Xens rough terrain, and was cut down by a bolt of electricity. At that point, it was clear that the Xonians were winning the battle, and everybody involved knew it. The unfortunate soldiers were battling their way to a glowing portal behind the attackers, but were being held back by the sheer human hatred from the aliens. Gordon watched the battle, transfixed, unable to believe the fierceness of the fight, and unable to believe the bravery of the surviving grunts.  
  
"Gordon, you have arrived at last. Forget your other assignment, this is urgent. We are opening a portal linked to the one behind the aliens you see there. There are good soldiers down there, who don't deserve to die like this. We need you to get them out." His employer said impatiently. Gordon gulped, glanced up from the screens, and replied:  
  
"I don't think i'm the person you want for this."  
  
"You're the best we have at the moment."  
  
"I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Look, there's no time to argue! Their lives are at risk, Freeman." He shouted.  
  
"Okay, fine. I'll do it." Gordon forced himself to stay calm.  
  
"Thank you. We've got the portal open, please, get to the teleportation chamber. Everything you'll need is down there." His employer gestured towards a doorway to his right. Gordon went through it in silence.  
  
Gordon was handed an Assult rifle and four magazines as soon as he entered the vast chrome chamber. A few technicians quickly checked the giant machine standing in the centre, gave him the thumbs up, and exited without a word. Everything was set. 


	4. Chapter 4

I'm not too sure on this chapter, I don't really like it, there's something wrong with it, but I can't see what. I don't know, i'll probably tweak this around more in the future.  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
  
  
"3...2...1... The portal is open Gordon. Good Luck! Contact us using the soldier's transmitter when the area is clear of hostiles" The voice poured out the speaker. "What are you waiting for?" Gordon gulped and ran into the glowing, green, pulsating portal.  
  
For Gordon, everything went black. He could feel nothing. He couldn't turn back, all he could do was relax. He knew what was going to happen next, and after a few seconds, he prepared himself for the imminent, bone jolting shock which occurs when the portal journey comes to an end. The darkness around him brightened slightly, and he slowly unhooked the assault rifle from his shoulder. He didn't know what was waiting for him out there, and he didn't want to take any chances. The blackness was now a subtle grey, and he could just pick out faint shouts and gunshots. 'Hurry up. Come on, come on.' He clutched the rifle tightly. He hadn't had much training since last year, and already, the cumbersome firearm was restricting the little movements he dared to make in the darkness. The gunshots were getting louder, the surroundings lighter. A buzzing filled his head, and he suddenly felt himself falling slowly, the majestic surroundings of Xen filling his vision. As he hit the hard earth, shocks ran through his legs, the HEV doing its job, but still, he stumbled. 'Not the most elegant landing ever' He thought to himself, springing quickly into a crouching position.  
  
Gordon seemed to be at the bottom of a small slope, maybe a hill, and he scrambled up slowly. He lowered himself to a prone position, and raised the gun to his eye. He could see Alien Grunts, Slaves, even the odd Houndeye was scampering round, and he immediately wished he had a silenced weapon. He cursed under his breath. 'One shot will have them all onto me' At that moment, a soldier called for assistance to his right, and Gordon noticed Alien Grunts moving to he direction of the shouting. 'Idiot.' He thought to himself. 'He's bringing the Aliens closer, if one of them sees me...' He didn't think on. All he knew, all he wanted to know was that if he didn't get those creatures away, the grunt would't be the only person in trouble. He didn't see any other choice. 'They'll notice me anyway'. He raised his assault rifle, and aimed for the stomach of an advancing Alien Grunt. He discharged only a few shots before the group of Grunts noticed, and they all turned in the direction of the orange-clad human. Gordon fired off a couple more shots, but most seemed to bounce harmlessly of their armor. He released another volley of shots in frustration into the vast paunch of the mildly injured Alien Grunt, and it finally fell.  
  
Hornets buzzed past his ear, causing him to fall instinctively to the ground, leaving the bizarre insects to soar over his exposed head. He rolled onto his back, sat up, and released almost a full magazine into the next Grunt before it cried out and collapsed. 'One more... easy' Gordon scrambled up off the ground to dodge another load of Hornets, and then fired off yet another round to finish off the last lumbering Xonian. Gordon heard the soldier cry out, weaker that time.  
  
"Medic! Can anybody hear me?" Gordon took another glance around. To his surprise, none of the other Aliens seemed to have noticed.  
  
"Quieten down, they'll hear us" Gordon whispered as he neared the injured man, who was collapsed on the ground, leaning on a crumbling rock "Can you move?" Gordon asked. Large burns ran down his arms, and his face was streaked with blood; human and alien.  
  
"Who are you?" The young man whispered, his eyes wide open in surprise.  
  
"It doesn't matter at the moment. Can you move? We need to get away from here, fast" He winces.  
  
"No... I don't think I can. One of those, those, electric things got me, right in the chest. They took out all my pals too. I can't breathe." He coughs. Gordon takes another glance at the weakening battle which was going on just over the slope.  
  
"I'm sorry, i'm not a medic, just hold out. You'll be fine, just stay awake. Okay? I need to help those guys too. My job is to get you lot outta here. I'm not to sure how at the moment, but I have to try. Are you armed?" He winces again.  
  
"Yeah. I'll be OK. Just say you'll come back?"  
  
"I'll come back. I promise. Be careful." The soldier picked up his rifle, and almost smiled.  
  
"You too."  
  
As Gordon walked around the slope, he glanced back at the injured man behind him. His head was tilted back, his eyes closed already, gun in lap, but his chest, thankfully was still rising and falling slightly. Gordon doubted that he'd survive much longer. He took a deep breath, and carried on. By then, the humans seemed to have pushed back the aliens by this time, and corpses from both sides litter the ground. A lone Slave rans forward to attack the soldiers who were dug in deep, but was cut down by the group of three, and they let out a cheer. 'They know who's winning too.' Gordon started to run forward towards the jubilant human grunts, assault rifle in hand. They finally noticed him.  
  
"Identification." One of them shouted.  
  
"Gordon Freeman. I'm with you. I was actually sent to help, but you're handling yourself nicely." Gordon said, and slowed down to a jog. They looked at him for a moment.  
  
"OK. Are there many 'things' left?" One of them asked.  
  
"No, no. Well, not that I could see. Six at the most, well, maybe more. I haven't really explored. We need to leave." Gordon took a look around once more.  
  
"You're right. Portal?"  
  
"Yeah. Just down there. It's still open" Gordon pointed roughly in its direction. "Someone's been hit pretty hard near it. We should head across now. I don't actually think those Aliens are going to be much of a threat now. Come on." They scrambled up the side of he trench.  
  
"Where is it? Come on!" One soldier said, reloading his gun. Gordon raised his to his eye, and casually took out a Houndeye which had wandered round a corner, and the whole group started to sprint down the slope.  
  
"Are you the only people left?" Gordon asked.  
  
"I think theres a few more of us left, a few hundred metres, over there." He points behind Gordon. "Mr. Freeman is it?. Did you say that someone was injured?"  
  
"Yeah. Go and find him. Wait by the portal, and take out any hostiles you see." They nodded in agreement, and walked off, rifles at the ready, towards the lone soldier. Gordon jogged over the sandy floor, following the very rough directions of the grunt, and trying to avoid the glassy stare of the corpses which littered the battlefield, and checked the trenches for any human, or alien, life. Dust flew up in front of him - a bullet hole! He stopped in his tracks, and raised his arms, and his rifle, into the air. "What was that for?" He cried out.  
  
"You scared me, sorry sir." A lone grunt limped out from a sandbag wall which was ahead. "I wasn't expecting someone in bright orange to pass by."  
  
"You've got a point. Look, i need to contact... Earth, i heard that you had some kind of transmitter..." Before Gordon could finish, he interrupted.  
  
"Follow me." He hopped down into a hole. Two more grunts were crouched in the dirt. They briefly introduced themselves, and one of them turned and blew grit off a large machine which sat in front of them.  
  
"I'm guessing that you're the reinforcements they were sending. What do you need me to say?"  
  
"Well, just say that we're almost ready, and we have casualties." The lively young man slapped earphones on, passed on their message, and a couple of seconds later, he got a crackled reply:  
  
"The portal is ready, you've done all you can over in Xen, get through as soon as you can, the aliens are sending out reinforcements. Hurry!" Whoever was speaking didn't sound too pleased, but Gordon found no time to think about it. He pulled himself, and the other grunts out of the hole, and they both sprinted roughly towards the group he had left minutes earlier. The four other soldiers were waiting by the pulsating green portal impatiantly.  
  
"Go! Get through, theres more on the way!" The grunts didn't need convincing. They all dived into the portal, safe at last. 


	5. Chapter 5

I'm not too sure on this either. This needs work I think.  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
"Damn it Gordon. What were you doing out there? You were helping that goddamn soldier while others were dying. I saw them dying! We lost a lot of good men out there. Why did you let it happen? Why?" He paced around his office.  
  
"Why did I let it happen? I couldn't just leave him there to die, could I? I didn't want the bloody assignment in the first place. This place is full of trained marines, why couldn't you have just sent a squad of them down?"  
  
"I have my reasons Freeman."  
  
"What the Hell do you mean? If you're going to insist on sending me each time there's a problem on Xen at least give me a proper briefing and some training. How did you expect me to help those soldiers? I didn't even know what was going on."  
  
"There wasn't enough time for a briefing, we didn't even know what was happening ourselves. You've let us all down Freeman."  
  
"I did my best. If that's not good enough for you, get some other poor sucker to do stuff like this for you."  
  
"You didn't do your best out there Freeman. If you acted there like you did at Black Mesa they wouldn't have known what had hit them."  
  
"I wasn't forced to do what I did at Black Mesa. I acted like that because there was no other alternative."  
  
"And you're saying that there was another earlier?"  
  
"No, but-"  
  
"Gordon, i'm getting sick of your insolence. You're dismissed. Be here tomorrow at ten am."  
  
"I look forward to it." Gordon backed out of the room, his employer's iron stare following him out of the doorway. 'Damn it. Why me?.' He wandered down the hallways until he got to the door of his room. He typed in his security code, moved straight to his bed and sat down. He only then realised that a trickle of blood was making its way down his cheek, and he angrily wiped it aside. He wearily glanced at the digital clock beside him. '11:56PM? Already? Whatever.' He was tired, and eager to get some sleep, so he stumbled into his bathroom, quickly shedded his HEV, washed, changed, collapsed into bed, and slept. 


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay Gordon. You have permission to take out anyone or anything which gets in your way, but remember, you must still follow orders. Over there, you will have little, if any, authority. That is, unless the Xonians bring out a full scale attack. Then, and only then, will you be able to take command. Good Luck." Gordon slipped into a black car which was purring by the exit, a few belongings packed into a dark blue suitcase.  
  
"Look, Sir i don't even know where i'm going. Orders from who?. Can you at least give me some more info-" His employer merely smiled.  
  
"I have complete confidence in you." And with that, he walked off. Gordon didn't have chance to say another word before the dark car in which he was seated accelerated down the dark road.  
  
  
  
Gordon shuffled the heavy pack from shoulder to shoulder in the rain. His trusty HEV was back in America, and he was now dressed in grey and black camouflage, his mission still unknown. From what he could figure out, which wasn't much, he guessed that he was on guard duty. Nobody around him knew his past. To them, he was just another guy caught up in God-knows-what, but, still, Gordon felt uneasy as he looked at the two, similarly clad soldiers around him. He hadn't been personally introduced to either of them. Just dumped and left with the order "Kill anything that comes too close, don't take any chances.". He shivered in the cold night rain, avoided their stare, and brushed shimmering droplets off his sleeves. He glanced down to the assault rifle in his hands, and dropped it down to his side. It'd been a quiet night so far; not one person had passed, never mind any Aliens. Then again, he haden't even been told where he was. He didn't know what to expect. He could only wait.  
  
"You okay Freeman?" One soldier said. "Are you bored?" Gordon looked up reluctantly. He always had felt uneasy around strangers.  
  
"Who wouldn't be?" He replied, studying his watch. 'Only ten.'  
  
"Scary, isn't it, thinking there are those things out there. I saw the body of one. Big, green, and as ugly as Hell. I wouldn't like to meet one on a night like this. Think there are more?" He sat down on the wet grass facing Gordon. "The names Lee Phillips."  
  
"I hope there's a few more outta there man. It's too damn quiet here. We need some action." The other soldier joined in. "George Parker." He came over too, and shook Gordon's gloved hand.  
  
"You know who i am already. Wonder if there are any more 'things' out there? Something better turn up, it's too cold to stand around all night." Gordon crouched down on the grass. "Is it always this quiet?" Only the gentle patter of rain and the rustling trees could be heard through the still darkness. "It doesn't feel right." As that sentance left his mouth, something stirred.  
  
"Shh... quieten down... I hear something." Parker hisses. "What the?" All of them held their breath, listening.  
  
"Is someone out there?" Phillips almost yelled it out. Nothing. "It was nerves George. The monsters are getting to you." It's not a taunt. He sounded edgy too. Gordon squinted through the rain and the black.  
  
"I didn't hear anything. Those creatures were probably a one-off." Gordon knew it wasn't true, but he wished he could believe it. He sounded less confident than he'd hoped. Something rustled the leaves. "Wait, did you hear that?" Gordon panics.'Probably a bird. Calm down'. He thought to himself. He shivered again. Footsteps, something big was out there for certain. Parker spun round.  
  
"Who's there?" He shouted, and he let out a hail of bullets. A grunt of surprise came out of the gloom. A sound Gordon knew too well. He raised his rifle and took rough aim to the direction of the sound, and fired. A thump. Whatever it was, it had fallen. Phillips carefully stepped towards the body.  
  
"Good shot. Is it the same kind as before?" He nudged the Slave with his gun, and it thrashed blindly through the air with those keen claws, and let out a pitiful whine.  
  
"Shut that thing up will you? There's bound to be more lurking around here Lee. One alien is enough." Parker whispered  
  
"How the Hell do i do that? Anyway, i thought you wanted action?" He lowered his gun,  
  
"Shut up you two! Kill the damn thing if you have too, its attracting attention." Gordon nodded to his left, towards some trees. "Theres something moving over there. You guys have a radio? Use it. If there's more, i don't want to be outnumbered." He squinted through the rain. Nothing.  
  
"I'll check it out you guys. Probably some drunks. I don't want to spend any more time next to that thing than i need to. It creeps me out." Parker ran off, and disappeared through the leaves.  
  
"Reached anyone on that thing yet?" Gordon turned to Phillips, who was crouched down, struggling over something in the darkness.  
  
"Yeah. There's interference, i don't know why, but, i think i got through okay. Wait... yeah. They're sending a team over to check this place out. Where's Parker gone?"  
  
"Over there. I hope he's OK. Maybe i shouldn't have let him go." Gordon started to wander over to where Parker disappeared.  
  
"He'd have gone over anyway. There's no stopping George. Go check 'im out, you never know. I'll be waiting by the road. I'll be fine." He suddenly shot the grounded alien through the head. He looked up at Gordon and shrugged. "Just in case." 


	7. Chapter 7

Gordon peered through the bushes. 'I'm sure he'll be fine' He thought to himself. 'I'm worried over nothing' He tried to spot Parker through the trees, unwilling to say anything. A voice made him jump.  
  
"Is that you Freeman? You scared me. It was nothing. Come on. There's no point in standing round in the rain." Parker went and left Gordon standing there, heart pounding. He started to follow, uneasily glancing over his shoulder.  
  
"He's by the road" Gordon said to him, slipping on the wet grass. "Someones sending a squad up here or, something like that." Parker nodded and jogged away. Gordon made his way along, still scanning the bushes, and followed the tall concrete wired off wall, water dripping off his beret and the trees lined up to his left, eager to leave this place. He knew there was something lurking around. He could almost feel it. The moon was casting the only light on the scene, but even that was being blotted out by the dense clouds up above. It made the surroundings even more threatning. Through the darkness, Gordon located his fellow guards, who were crouched by the roadside, talking. He paced over to them, shivering, Assult Rifle still firmly in his right hand. Something caught his eye - something alive, the others notice the same, but, too late.  
  
"Get down Goddammit!" Gordon slammed himself to the ground, heart in his mouth, as a grotesque red-brown creature hurled itself out of the trees, onto his bare neck. He quickly clamboured to his feet, cursing, his hands pulling at the beast's claws which were embedded deep into his shoulders. "Freeman! Jeez! What is that thing?" Parker ran over to him, and ripped the screaming alien off his back, and brought his boot down right on it.  
  
"Jesus... what was it? Oh my God. Are you okay Gordon?" Phillips hesitated and ran up.  
  
"I'm fine. You said they were coming right?" Gordon couldn't help but panic. He checked his shoulder, an increasing dark patch was becoming visable even the poor light. He let your pack drop to the grass and sat down. " Thats only two."  
  
"You mean there's more?"Parker whispered, the fear was clearly audiable in his voice. Gordon looked up and squinted at his face.  
  
"There's got to be more." Gordon asked. He shuffled painfully and glanced around.  
  
"I guess. Are you okay, you're really pale?" Parker seemed concerned. Gordon glanced down at his gloved hands, and saw to his surprise that he was shaking. It shocked him more than he had thought. As he lifted his head to glance down the roadside for the supposed reinforcements, he head grew lighter and he seemed to lose touch with his senses. 'Whats happening to me?' He thought. "You need a doctor Freeman, i'm not kidding. They better get here soon, i'm not a medic, but you look bad." That didn't sound good.  
  
"Gordon? I'll go get help, don't move." Gordon's ears started to ring at that point, and Phillips backed away from his slumped form, his eyes wide. Gordon heard him talking to someone, but couldn't make out who. Parker? He tried to glance up but couldn't move. Seconds later, his eyes hazed over and he collapsed onto the dewy grass, unconscious. . . 


	8. Chapter 8

This is why my next chapter has taken so long to upload! I've written and re-written this so many times, and I still haven't got it right... I thought that I may as well upload what I've got, even if it is a load of rubbish. :-P  
  
  
  
*****************8  
  
  
  
"Are you sure we can risk him again, Sir?" Someones voice rose from the darkness. 'Risk who? What happened? Where is this?' Gordons head ached, and he struggled to open his eyes.  
  
"This isn't the time or the place Anderson. We'll discuss it later if you think he is that important to us. Remember, we have the others." That voice Gordon knew. He managed to finally force his heavy eyes open but the room was, to him, just a pale blur without his glasses.  
  
"It is important. He's the most experienced person we have at the moment. We could use his talents, we can't let his abilities go to waste."  
  
"You saw how he handled the situation on Xen. I admit, it was a bit much to push on him after so long, but he made the totally wrong choices. We'll see, Anderson, we'll see." Gordon let out a small sigh. He blew it. He knew he had.  
  
" I think he's up to it. From what I've heard, Gordon is more than able."  
  
"Maybe so, but he still has to prove himself to me. I saw him last year, and he was impressive, but I have my doubts at the moment. I just think Shepherd is more promising" Gordon closed his eyes against the glare of the lights hanging from the ceiling, and somehow managed to block the conversation which continued somewhere to his right.  
  
He tried to relax, ignore the horrors which haunted his mind, and forget the friends that he was torn away from only one year ago. For once he felt safe, and he gratefully took this oppurtunity to run everything through his mind. He didn't want the life he was living now. Death would be preferable to this. He had nothing to live for anymore. Before Black Mesa, he had everything. A good job, loving family, a nice house, a girlfriend to die for, and a beautiful baby girl, Joanne. He had anything any man would ever want. But then it happened. His life was torn apart in a matter of seconds, all his friends in Black Mesa dead, and to everybody else, he was a memory. A single name amongst the hundreds who supposedly perished in Black Mesa.  
  
Gordon ran the recent events through his mind. He wasn't cut out for fighting, and still couldn't abide the thought of harming other humans. What drove him all that way was fear. Fear and anger. When he first witnessed the remorseless slaughter of his collegues, something took over. He wasn't the quiet, mild mannered man he used to be. He didn't think, he just shot and concentrated on keeping alive. Horrific memories flooded back to him as he lay on the crisp, clean bed. He had to force images of the charred, blood stained corridors of Black Mesa out of his mind, and relaxed. He eventually fell, almost unwillingly, asleep.  
  
  
  
Gordon awoke from his slumber alert, and he scanned the room. It was small, a two doors, a large window, blinds pulled down to his left, and a small white lamp stood on a bedside cabinet by his head. No other furniture was visible from where he lay. This place reminded his of a hospital. It was bright, empty, almost cheerful, yet none of those could settle the heavy feeling of dread lying in his empty stomach. His employer just then walked into the room.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Freeman. I'm glad to see you awake at last. You gave us quite a scare out there," He paused "I was expecting more from you." The voice startled Gordon at first, but as the last sentance sank in, he started to gaze at his boss in disbelief.  
  
"More from me? I was dumped in another country, with no idea what to do, or what the Hell was going on. Can you blame me for what happened?" The only thing that stopped Gordon from going on was the sharp pain that tore through his shoulders as he tried to sit up.  
  
"Look, I understand your anger Freeman. You've been taken away from everything you love and believe in. And believe me Gordon, if we'd known about that alien which attacked you, we'd have told you about it. Look, do you think I wanted you confined to a bed like this? I could have left you there to die, but I thought better of it, and had you brought all the way back here. Do you think making those arrangements is easy? I think you should consider all I have done for you before you say something you will really regret. I can dispose of you without a second thought. There are others I could use for this assignment. Just be glad it's you I chose, or you'd just be another casualty."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me what i was supposed to be doing?"  
  
"I am a very busy man Freeman-" Gordon interrupted.  
  
"What? Busy man? That's your excuse? We could have all died. Why did you just leave me there?"  
  
"I didn't just leave you there. I was going to tell you everything you would have needed to know the next morning, we knew there were a few Slaves there, but we had no idea that there were aliens that dangerous so close to you, we didn't even know that species existed. In fact, that one didn't even come from Xen."  
  
"What? There's another planet involved now?"  
  
"Unfortunately, there has been all along. We've dubbed them 'Race X'. You, fortunately didn't encounter them in Black Mesa. They seem to be born and bred for fighting, and some, like the Alien Grunts, use living weaponary. We don't actually know why Race X got involved, we have never provoked them, we didn't even know they existed, but, they're involved, and they're hostile. It looks like Race X is an enemy to the Xonians, but we can't be sure.We've run tests on that creature that attacked you, and, we are certain it's not from Xen. There is no other explanation for where that alien came from."  
  
"What would Race X be doing on Earth?"  
  
"Thats what we're trying to figure out. Now Freeman, get some rest." With that, he left the room, leaving Gordon even more confused than he was before. After a few moments, Gordon decided to take his advice, and just slept. 


End file.
